Buddha Purnima
__NOEDITSECTION__ Overview History Celebrations See also User Reviews Photo gallery Everything else See Buddha Purnima/Miscellaneous External resources Category:Festivals Buddha Purnima is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety by Buddhists across the world today. Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar.Buddha Poornima usually falls on the full moon night in the month of Vaisakha (either in April or May). The day marks the birth, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvan of Mahatma Budha in the 7th century Before Christ. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Buddha is considered the ninth avatar of Vishnu. The important ritual for all the Buddhist is the Vaisaka Purnima known asWesak or Vesak festival in Sri Lanka. It is also known as Buddha Jayantiin India. The three most significant events in the life of Gautama Buddha occurred on the same day. His birth, enlightenment and death (nirvana), all happened on a full moon night in April/May. This makes the day - called Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti - all the more sacred for Buddhists. At Bodh Gaya where Lord Budha attained enlightenment, a special prayer was organised under Bodhi tree for world peace Thousands of monks across the world have assembled at the Mahabodhi temple to offer prayer. The decision to agree to celebrate the Vesākha as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition. Bringing happiness to others Celebrating Vesākha also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and kind to various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesākha is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one’s appetites but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. Devout Buddhists also vie with one another to provide refreshments and vegetarian food to followers who visit the temple to pay homage to the Enlightened One. history of Buddha in India : Buddhism began in India and then got populated in the East Asia. Gautam Buddha lived and died in about the fifth century before the Christian era. He attained Nirvana i.e. the complete liberation at the age of 80. Teachings of Gautam Buddha : The teachings of the Buddha are solely to release human beings from the sorrow and sufferings of life. For which he suggested one kind of meditation called as “Vipassana” (Vi – important and Passana – see) which means to see what is happening in your body. According to the Buddhism, sorrow and need are the main cause of all the iniquity and suffering of this world. Lord Buddha suggested “Arya Ashtangik Marg” to all human beings which consisting of eight principles to gain victory over suffering. By following this marg one can easily reach the position of Nirvana. Nirvana is the state of complete liberation. The great Emperor Ashoka followed the teachings of Buddha and helped in spreading it far and wide. Category:Buddha Purnima